I walked into church quietly this afternoon and sat down beside Natalie, who hugged me and sat close to me as we listened to Brother D preach and read from the Bible.
“Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise. Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire. The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!’ The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever.’”
“A reading from the Acts of the Apostles,” Brother D went on and we turned in our Bibles to the right location as he read, “‘Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying, ‘In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.’ The word of the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia. ‘The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, listen to him.’ Alleluia, alleluia. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to the Apostle Mark.”
Natalie turned the page in the Bible to the right place and listened as Brother D read, “‘This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Gospel of the Lord.”
I sat up straighter as Brother D began his message. “A dove descended upon Jesus and God proclaimed this is my son who I am well pleased Since that day many have come forth claiming to be sent by God. Some claim to be acting for God when they commit heinous acts. These are the false prophets which we are warned about! Our God, the true God, is a God of love and forgiveness. In his life on this earth Jesus was often insulted, mocked , even assaulted and eventually crucified. Never did he urge others to violence. He could have called legions of angels to protect him from those who would harm him. But he never did.”
“Cause he weren’t afraid!” Natalie piped up then and covered her mouth. I smiled at that point and wrapped my arm tighter around her.
“Even in the garden of Gethesmene when he was seized by armed men and one of the apostles took up a sword striking off the ear of one of his attackers,” Brother D went on. What did Jesus do? He healed the man and told his Apostles to put away their swords. So any that will do violence to others in God’s name is not acting for the true God. Many are lead astray by false prophets we should forgive these fools. But they will be held accountable by the laws of man and God in due time. Those who advocate violence in God’s name have been led astray. But the harm they do to others must be prevented on this earth. God says to turn the other cheek.”
Natalie waved to Mrs. Pet and Mr. Bass and I leaned down to whisper to her, “No pointing, kiddo. Listen to Brother D.”
“But he does not say we cannot and should not protect others,” Brother D went on. “Jesus is the true God. Any who kill others in their God’s name are acting not for God.”
We recited the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s Prayer, and then prayed for the needs of the people and the church. Brother D recited the words of the communion and then blessed us as we went. “The mass is ended I hope you all will enjoy God’s favor this week and he will look upon you with grace and wish you well in your lives. May God be with you this week. May you have cheer and God’s bounty with you throughout the week until we meet again. May the LORD bless you, and keep you; May the LORD make his face shine to upon you, and be gracious to you; May the LORD turn his countenance to you and grant you peace. “
Natalie watched Brother D walk out of church and then looked over at me. “Service is over?”
“Yup but now we get to meet your pa at Miss Pet’s service.” I nodded.
Natalie went up to Pet before she could leave the building and asked, “Miss Pet? I got a question.”
“Yes child.” Pet smiled.
“Well okay... I was interviewin’ Brother Dave for the paper, right? And when I asked if he was married… He said he didn’t get married in his order. Cause he dedicates his life to Jesus.”
“Alright.”
“But then I thought ’bout how you and Mr Chris are both married… So why’s it different?”
“You will need to ask him why it is different. Only he can answer his choice to you, not me,” Pet told her.
“Well he said that it was cause you serve Jesus in different ways. But then church started.”
“Not really,” Pet said.
“So then you can dedicate your life to Jesus and Mister Bass?” Ma asked her.
“You really should ask him about the specifics concerning his order. Am I being interviewed?”
“That’s a very good question, Kiddo, but I think Miss Pet’s right. That sounds like a better question for Brother D.” I smiled proudly at my daughter.
“I was just curious Miss Pet. Guess we should go outside.”
“Good to see you, Pet.” I smiled at Pet.
“Thank you for understanding. Good seeing you as well,” Pet said to me.
Natalie ran off outside and I chuckled, watching her. “Mr uh.. reverend uh... Brother D?” Natalie asked D.
“She’s infinitely curious about these things.” I chuckled.
“She is.” Pet chuckled as we walked outside together.
“Well um... can you explain why your order’s different than Miss Pet and Mister Chris?” Natalie was asking.
“Bass, how are you?” I asked him with a smile.
“Just fine Trin… good to see you as well,” Bass replied.
“We take Holy vows to remain poor, never marry or break our celibacy as a sacrifice for God,” Brother D explained. “Some in other orders vow to never talk again”
“Never talk!!” Natalie blinked. “I could never do that!” I chuckled, knowing that was true.
“I know one woman who took vows in an order to never talk.” Brother D said.
“That is a big sacrifice,” Pet said.
“After five years see was allowed to speak to the mother superior. She was only allowed one sentence so she said my mattress is to hard. Then she had to wait five years before she could speak again,” Brother D explained.
“So then um.... you just take different sacrifices than Miss Pet and Mr Chris?” I asked curiously.
“The next time she came in she said my room is too cold,” Brother D said. “Then five years later she came back and was allowed to speak one sentence again.”
“Wow…” Natalie giggled and wrote things down in her notebook.
“The mother superior stood up and said thats enough I have had it with you the only we have heard from you since you got he is complaints,” Brother D said.
“So Brother Dave.... You take different sacrifices than Missus Pet and Mr Chris?” Natalie asked.
Pet and Bass headed off down the street and Brother D nodded to Natalie. “Yes we do, but we serve God together.”
“Well that makes more sense. Thanks for answerin’ that for me Brother D.”
“Surely,” Brother D said to her.
“We should get to Tombstone, Kiddo.” I told Natalie. “Thanks for the sermon today, Brother D.”
We said goodbye and headed towards the church in Tombstone.
Tombstone.
We went to the church and Natalie ran inside right away as I smiled, seeing Thomas walking towards me. “Hello my love... I’m so glad you could come. Natalie’s already inside.”
“Oh I am so glad she came. Jimmy still isn’t feeling good so I told him to stay home in bed and rest.” Thomas hugged me tightly and kissed me softly.
“Probably a good idea. We just went to the service in Bisbee and she was askin’ about why Brother Dave wasn’t married when Chris and Pet were.”
“Yeah it’s that time when both Jimmy and Natalie are going to have a lot of questions.”
“Mmhmm. I also believe she has her first crush.” I chuckled a bit.
“Uh oh. Let me guess, Jeffery?”
I smirked and nodded, taking his hand, and headed inside. We greeted others as they came in and Natalie was excited to see her pa there.
Pet looked around, blushing as she greeted us. “I can’t tell a fib, I have missed you all. Our honeymoon was lovely and we will find ways to make sure it doesn’t end, but… Today’s message… ‘Loved Into Change’ might be a bit of a mind bender.”
Natalie rubbed her head and sighed, whispering, “Not more mind benders….”
“So I’m gonna pray that the Lord opens your spiritual vision a bit,” Pet went on and started to pray. “Father, we don’t always get it right, but with your help we come might close to pleasing you. So Father, I’m asking for grace to understand and the wisdom to follow through for each man woman and child here today. I ask this in the name of your son and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
I looked back at the door when it opened and smiled seeing my old friend Chet, from Colorado and Georgetown, and he waved. I turned back to focus on Pet as she began to preach. I held Tom’s hand, grateful to finally be able to be in the moment.
“Love yourself manifesto. I read a powerful article recently and I’d like to share it with you. ‘As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where everything is happening. Today I live each day, day by day and I call it FULFILMENT. As I began to love myself I understand how much it can offend somebody if I try to force my desires on this person, even though I KNEW THE TIME WAS NOT RIGHT and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today i call it RESPECT. As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is AUTHENTICITY. As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to GROW. Today I call it MATURITY. As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is not good for my health - food, people, things, situations and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is LOVE OF ONESELF.”
I looked over at Thomas knowingly and leaned my head closer to his neck as he held me close.
“‘As I began to log myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is MODESTY,’” Pet went on. “‘As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time, and stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today I ONLY DO WHAT BRINGS ME JOY AND HAPPINESS things I love to do and that makes my heart cheer and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it SIMPLICITY. As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But as I connected it to my mind, became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection WISDOM OF THE HEART. We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problem with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today i know THAT IS LIFE.’” Looking up she said, “I am pretty sure you know this passage, but I’m gonna share it with you anyhow. “ She grinned. “In the gospel of Matthew, he says, ‘But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.’”
“Were the sadducees always sad?” Natalie whispered to her pa and he whispered something back to her.
“‘And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,’” Pet went on. “This begs the question, are we capable of loving others, we we do not fully love ourselves? Can we be tolerant of another, when we are so intolerant of ourselves? Can we forgive another if we cannot forgive ourselves? Even our heavenly Father exclaims that our meter we use to measure others will be used to measure or examine ourselves. Further inspection of God’s word tells us the length LOVE will go… ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?’”
“I’ll be unpacking that little passage in the weeks to come,” Pet said and looked around. “The Psalms gives us a method and tells us the end result of this type of loving. I will close by praying Psalm eighty-six. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. A prayer of David. Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead. Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God; ruthless people are trying to kill me— they have no regard for you. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did. Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.’”
“Now that last verse is ver special to me,” Pet said to us. “So much so I have it needle pointed on a small pillow of me.”
“I wanna see!” Natalie perked up then and covered her mouth as Thomas patted her head.
“Show me off... use me... let others see how you treat and bless those who are yours,” Pet went on. “But it is also sometimes hard to live up to because to have God show you off for HIS goodness. Means first ya gotta be good. Second you gotta remember, you cant show off for yourself. There is only one way to express love of self. That comes thru seeing yourself thru the eyes of the ONE who created ya in His image and likeness. If it weren’t for the love of the Lord, we’d all be wallowing in the muck and mire and doing all manner of strange things to survive. God be praised for this love that we can love ourselves, love others and return the Love He’s given us right back to Him. Let all those who have experienced God’s leading, guiding, comfort, joy, peace and love say AMEN!”
Pet finished her sermon and we stood up and hugged each other. I walked over to Chet and hugged him tightly, congratulating him on his engagement. It was so good to see him and he introduced me to his fiance Jade. I introduced him to Thomas and Natalie and it was so good to see him again.
Natalie looked around for someone and we continued to talk to Chet about how he owned a store in Black Diamond. I asked Tom to bring Natalie home and Tom said that she was going to have a talk with her about boys. I waved to him and the others and headed to the office.
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